Understanding Skins – Resonant Drumhead Explained

I have heard the cries and wailing: “Can someone please explain what the resonant head does!!!” Ok, not really, but it is a question that doesn’t seem to have many straight forward answers. Not only that, most of the information available online is either sorely lacking, or is just downright wrong.

The reso head of a drum is probably one of the more overlooked areas when it comes to the set up of your drum kit. Most drummers understand that they need a reso skin, but once it’s put on the drum, it’s rarely tuned or replaced. Not only that, but buying new heads seems to be a large expense for something that you don’t know what to do with.

So what exactly is the resonant head of a drum, and what does it do?

5 Tips to For a Successful Practice Session

Recently, I was asked by one of my students how to practice more effectively. This student didn’t have a lot of time to practice, and was looking to get the most out of their time.

Normally I avoid these types of questions, because practice is so unique to everyone. At any time a person can be at any stage in their learning, and no exact schedule is going to work for everyone.

However, I believe that there are a few things that all musicians can take into consideration that can help them get the most out of their time.

Online Drum Lessons – Learn from Home with Videos

Are you interested in online drum lessons? It can be difficult to know exactly where to start when trying to learn how to play the drums on the internet. Is it worth the money? Are there free alternatives available? How does it all work? This guide will break down the pros and cons of learning to play the drums online and help you decide whether it’s right for you.

*Note: Click the link to skip ahead to our detailed review of Drumeo Edge, our pick as the best online drumming resource available*

Honest Review: Drumeo Edge – is it Worth the Money?

Do you want to learn how to play the drums, but don’t want to go through the hassle of finding a teacher and attending weekly lessons? You’re probably not alone, because there are a few different online drum courses available on the internet now.

However, the most popular drumming product right now would have to be Drumeo Edge. Drumeo offers an online course boasting over 100 hours of content and over 40 different instructors to help you achieve your goals. Sounds great right?

But at a rate of $29.95/month, it is important to make sure it’s worth your money. Here is our Drumeo Edge review:

What is the Best Wood for Drum Shells

When you’re looking to buy a new drum kit, sometimes the number of options can be daunting. The most confusing of all is what type of wood is the best to get the sound you want.
When looking for the best wood for drum shells, we need to know the qualities of each different type of wood. The standard for American drum makers today is Birch and Maple. Both sound great, and if all else fails, you can’t go wrong buying a kit made with either of those woods.
But what about kits made from other wood types that aren’t as common? Are those kits worth picking up, or are drum makers just using those rare woods as a clever marketing ploy to get you to buy them for a higher price? The answer is both.
Each wood type comes with it’s own tonality and EQ, but due to rarity and difficulty in manufacturing, sometimes they come with a more expensive price tag. So what are these woods, and what are the best woods for you?

How to Have Effective Bass Drum Technique

An issue that I hear a lot is how to properly use your bass drum pedal for effective bass drum technique. If you are a new drummer, the best tip I can provide is to just keep practicing. Most beginner issues usually revolve around muscle memory and simply getting used to using the pedal.

Having said that, there are a few things to keep in mind when working on your bass drum technique, such as the beater bouncing off the head, your leg getting tired, or having the bass drum move away from you.

I’m here to address some of these issues in order to help you get comfortable using your pedal.

How to Make a Great Drum Cover Video

Drum cover videos have been circulating around YouTube for a while now. If you’ve checked out our Video’s Page, you probably have seen at least one great drum cover videos yourself. The first one I remember watching was Travis Barker playing along to Soulja Boy’s “Crank That“.

Unfortunately, I found that video to be a bit of a joke, and I brushed off the idea of videoing yourself playing drums to other artist’s music. What I should have done was give Travis praise for blazing the way for drummers to show off their skills to such a huge worldwide audience.

Since then, the popularity of the YouTube drum cover video has increased dramatically. Some of them may not be worth watching, while others are just downright cool. So how do you make a great drum cover video in the first place?

How to Survive Going to Music School

I’m not really a big fan of post secondary education in general, but I think there is quite a bit of merit to going to music school. It’s highly specialized, and unless you grew up in a city like New York, it’s a great way to become immersed in music daily.

But, going to music school is tough. Really tough. So, how do you survive, and better yet, how do you excel while attending music school?

How to Make it When Drumming in a New City

So you’ve spent hours in the practice room perfecting your Tony Williams and John Bonham licks, and you just graduated with that brand new music degree. You’re well trained, and now it’s time to get out there and start drumming in a new city.

But with so many options, where do you start, and how do you begin carving out that freelance drumming career?